Has the rich production of the 21st century yet many of the songs show influences of the seventies and the nineties.

'1000hp' is the sixth studio album from Godsmack and the first for four years. It was recorded in their newly built studios in Boston and once again produced by Dave Fortman and Sully Erna.

Each member of the band contributed ideas that were then worked up to produce a raw, edgy album full of energy. The result is a feast of "in your face" songs that have decidedly different feels yet all held together by the overall Godsmack sound.

Title track '1000hp' and 'FML' have a Grungy overlay that could easily have come out of Seattle in its heyday; Erna's raw vocals suit the songs and give them distinction. 'Something Different' is melodic yet Punky while 'What Next' is a straight-up Rocker driven along by Shannon Larkin's pounding skin beating. 'Generation Day' is huge and heroic and it has an almost Proggy mid-section that you don't hear so much anymore, Tony Rombola's guitar seamlessly moves from distorted and driving to soft and mournful.

'Locked And Loaded' is just hard and heavy and 'Living In The Gray' and 'I Don't Belong' are vamped delights of riffiness. 'Nothing Comes Easy' has an interesting construction that brought to mind a Grungy Rush and it has the most wonderful guitar drones. 'Turning To Stone' slows down the pace but can hardly be described as a ballad and has the meandering retro feel of some of the epic Rock songs of the seventies. Finally 'Life Is Good' (a bonus track) is a Funky, air punching, crowd pleasing closer.

This album would be perfect in the car with a long motorway ahead of you; although it's pacy and aggressive enough that you'll probably get a speeding ticket. '1000hp' has the rich production of the 21st century yet many of the songs show influences of the seventies and the nineties and it is all the richer and more interesting for it.

Helen Bradley Owers